Pillars

Chapter 22: When Stars Align (Kelci)

One of my least favorite things about the Silver Lake apartment was the lack of closet space. I was only able to hang a few of the most wrinkle prone items. Everything else was stacked in various piles across the furniture of my bedroom. Sifting through multiple piles every time I needed an outfit was exhausting. Maybe it was less of a storage issue, and more of a what to wear to a lunch date with Lena Crosby issue.

"It's doesn't matter what you wear, babe," Remi said from the phone in the center of my bed.

"Ah, yes. It does," I stressed. I hadn't actually gotten to see Remi since we returned to LA three days ago. Part of me wondered if the spark we started two months before would still be there when we finally reunited. Unfortunately, I would have to wait until the end of the week to find out.

"What I mean is, you always look amazing. And who cares what Lena Crosby thinks," Remi said.

"I care. I will be working with this girl for the next three months. She already thinks I'm an amateur. I can't let her think I dress like a twelve-year-old too."

"You look great in blue."

I pulled off the gray sweater I had just tried on. "Dark or light?" I asked scanning the room. My eyes rested on a soft blue, bell sleeve top draped over the back of a chair.

"Light. It brings out your eyes."

I put on the lace bottomed shirt with a pair of white jeans and looked in the full-length mirror. Remi was right.

"I really miss you," I said picking up the phone to see his face on the screen.

"I miss you too. It's killing me that you're literally 30 minutes away and I can't come see you."

"When does training finish up?"

"Friday. But I have freshman orientation Saturday morning."

"Haven't you been on campus all summer?"

"Yeah, but its mandatory. And I get to make my schedule for the fall." He shrugged sweeping his hand through his hair. The long top grew out even more over the summer, but he kept it brushed back casually. I imagined my fingers running through his soft blond waves.

"Of course. I've got to get going. So, I'll see you Saturday?"

"Definitely." His adorable smile made my heart skip. "We will have our first official date."

"I can't wait."

"Do you hike?"

Wow. Okay. Laugher burst from my mouth before I could contain it. I flipped the screen so he could see my full body shot in the mirror. "Do I look like I hike?"

"What? Beautiful women hike." Remi laughed.

"Thanks, but that's not what I meant. Seriously, I have little to no experience with nature." I hoped that wasn't a deal breaker. I grew up without a dad, so hiking, camping, fishing, and stuff were never on my radar. 

"It's not the Pacific Coast Trail. I just thought we could hike through Griffith Park, up to the Observatory," he explained. "But we can drive if you prefer." 

"No. No," I said feeling challenged. "I'll try anything once."

"Really?" Remi's eyebrows arched.

"You know what I mean." I could feel my face blushing. Hiking could be fun. Honestly, Remi could make watching paint dry fun. There was a charm and wit about him that just made me never want to be anywhere else. "I really have to go, now."